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The council's largest spending approval was $404,470 to The Garland Company, Inc. for fire station roofing materials, divided across two ARPA-funded line items ($216,344 and $188,126) on a single agenda item and approved 5-0 with no discussion; the council also approved 5-0 a total of $45,000 to Screamin Eagle Services, Inc. for illegal dumping cleanup split across three separate payments ($22,500, $14,580, and $7,920) — the largest single payment sits just below the $25,000 approval threshold, and a company representative appeared during public comment to report invoices going unpaid for 45 to 75 days. A three-year elevator service agreement totaling $39,060 with Pacific Coast Elevator Corporation DBA Amtech Elevator Services (Measure P funds), with Councilman Bowers raising but not pursuing a question about whether a ramp should replace the serviced wheelchair lift, and $31,185 in Gateway Cities Council of Governments membership dues were each approved 5-0. A proposed twelve-month lease with CHIRLA — structured as revenue to the city, not a spending item — was pulled by the city manager, who cited ambiguity between two listed rent figures in the agreement and Surplus Lands Act concerns about undercharging. A council motion to remove Barbara Baker from the Federal Grants Advisory Board failed 1-2 with two abstentions (Spicer in favor; Duhart and Bowers opposed; Darden and Mayor Sharif abstaining), and approximately fourteen members of the public addressed the council on illegal dumping, unpaid vendor invoices, budget transparency, potholes, and public safety.

Jan 2, 2024

city council

The council's two approved expenditures at the January 2, 2024 regular meeting were $28,700 to Major League Infields, Inc. for Dodgers Dreamfields maintenance at Gonzalez Park — staff described the amount as covering five months of past-due invoices plus two additional months at the vendor's $4,100/month rate — approved 4-0 with Darden absent, and $20,085 to the State Water Resources Control Board for a state-mandated recurring annual waste discharge permit, also approved 4-0 with Darden absent. Item 5, which would have directed $432,689 in ARPA funds to The Garland Company, Inc. for fire station roofing materials structured across three separate line items ($216,344, $188,126, and $28,219 to the same vendor), was pulled by staff before any vote and tabled to a future meeting. Thirteen residents spoke during public comment, the majority addressing street takeovers and the looting of Ruben's Bakery; the city attorney stated a draft street-takeover ordinance is in process but provided no date for when it would return to the council for a vote. On board matters, Louisa McCrary was removed from the Federal Grants Advisory Board (4-0, Darden absent) and Barbara Baker was appointed to that board (4-0, Darden absent); Councilman Bowers's motion to expand the Public Safety Commission by one seat to add a candidate he described as having over 30 years of public safety experience failed for lack of a second, and the related PSC appointment item also failed for lack of a second.

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